In a year when most university employees will see no pay increase, NIU gave 10 faculty members raises totaling more than $70,000 to stay at NIU.

Topping the list with a 34 percent increase from $19,116 to $29,115 per year was Christine Reid, communicative disorders assistant professor. Political Science Professor Irene Rubin followed with a 24 percent increase from $47,124 to $62,127 per year. Deborah Gough, communicative disorders assistant professor came in third with a 21 percent bump from $24,849 to $31,500.

In an earlier interview, NIU Provost Kendall Baker said the raises were given to counteroffers made by other universities. The new salary figures were approved at the September Board of Regents meeting.

Baker said counteroffers are made only when a faculty member can show a written offer from another institution and a college dean requests help in keeping the faculty member.

“It most definitely does not happen in every instance,” he said.

The counteroffers are successful in about half of all cases. This year 20 NIU faculty were made counteroffers.counter.

Baker said his office and the college each cover about half the cost of successful counteroffers. He said money for the counteroffers comes from whatever flexible funds can be found without cutting classes or other instructors.

“We’re generally best off trying to keep our best faculty and keep them with students and the program they’ve developed. Chances are that it’s probably a whole lot more expensive to replace them than it is to keep them,” Baker said.

Because faculty who accept outside offers face the prospect of moving, interrupting their research and higher costs of living, NIU often does not have to match outside offers dollar for dollar.

Counteroffers can include non-salary benefits such as access to better computers or facilities or a teaching assistant.